God's Word for Me Today
Sunday, September 23, 2001
Focus: Our Mission With The World
A note about online study
Introduction to God's Word for Me Today
My Prayer Today
Gracious God, our Heavenly Father, Open my life to You this day! As I worship You today on my own, and corporately with my brothers and sisters through Your Son, Jesus, may I glorify and honor You in all that I am, and all that I do. Write Your Word on the tablet of my heart, that I may live powerfully and effectively as Your witness today and everyday. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God's Word for Me Today: Acts 1:4-11
4In one of these meetings as he was eating a meal with them, he told them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what he promised. Remember, I have told you about this before. 5John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
The Ascension of Jesus
6When the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, are you going to free Israel now and restore our kingdom?”
7“The Father sets those dates,” he replied, “and they are not for you to know. 8But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9It was not long after he said this that he was taken up into the sky while they were watching, and he disappeared into a cloud. 10As they were straining their eyes to see him, two white-robed men suddenly stood there among them. 11They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven. And someday, just as you saw him go, he will return!”
Questions for Reflection
Jesus promised the Apostles He would return one day. How do you picture the day of Jesus’ return?
What would be the best thing that could happen today in worship? What can you do to help see it happen?
Questions for Exploration
What is the difference between John’s baptism and Jesus’ baptism? (1:4-5)
Who sets the dates for the important “hinge points” in history? (1:6)
What are the four specific places Jesus tells the apostles they are to be His witnesses after they receive the Holy Spirit? (1:8) KEY VERSE
Questions for Understanding
Why was it so important to the apostles that Jesus free Israel and restore their kingdom?
Why was it important for the apostles to know that God the Father, and not Jesus sets the dates for the “hinge points” of history?
Why do you suppose it was necessary for the two angels to appear to the apostles to offer some explanation of what had happened to Jesus when he was taken up into heaven?
Questions for Application
According to today’s reading, what are the practical implications of our receiving the Holy Spirit? How do we live them out in everyday life?
Living as a witness for Jesus isn’t always easy. Pray for God to give you, your family members and at least one other Christian the power of the Holy Spirit to be able to live as His witness today.
Commit to telling one person something about what you have seen, heard or experienced of Jesus in you life. Tell the person TODAY!
Jesus' Plan for Reaching the World
Yesterday we laid out Jesus’ plan in some detail: WAIT—RECEIVE POWER—GO—SHARE THE GOOD NEWS (Be witnesses). Today we’re going to focus on the four arenas in which that plan is carried out: locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Ever since I started taking international missions trips I have been asked one particular question many times, “Why do you have to go to Mexico, or China, or some other country to tell people about Jesus, when people right here need our help?” It’s a great question, and one that is easily answered by Jesus’ own words. We always find it easiest to care for those closest to us. We always see the needs of those in our immediate sphere of influence more vividly than we see those of folks in some far off land. The reality, though, is that BOTH those who are near AND those who are far need to hear and experience the Good News of Jesus Christ in word and action.
When Jesus told his followers to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, and Samaria and to the ends of the earth, he was telling us that we can’t just focus locally, but move to our region, nation and world, as well. Some have said, “But don’t you see, Jesus wanted the apostles to focus on Jerusalem first. After everyone in Jerusalem had heard the good news, then they could focus on the rest of Judea. Even a cursory reading of the Book of Acts shows us that such reasoning is faulty. The apostles started in Jerusalem because that is where they were. Jesus said be my witnesses in JERUSALEM, because they were just outside of Jerusalem when Jesus spoke the words. After the Apostles received the Holy Spirit, they told folks in Jerusalem about Jesus, but almost immediately some of them went to the countryside in Judea, others went to Samaria, and before long the Good News of Jesus was being preached internationally by the Apostle Paul and his co-workers in Jesus. In fact, Paul’s mission was to the “Gentiles”, to the non-Jewish world.
We start where we are, and some of us WILL stay where we are for our whole lives. Those of us with that calling will focus on local missions. Others among us will be called to serve in other parts of Pennsylvania, the United States and foreign countries. One of our folks, Marcia Semple, has a special passion for Romania. God uses her there. Mark and Kathy Dickson have a passion for orphaned children in Mexico. God calls each of us to be witnesses, once we have received the Holy Spirit’s power, and puts a passion in our heart for people in certain places—near and far. That’s because Jesus plan for reaching the world includes having witnesses—everywhere. No one of us can fulfill that plan, but all of us together, empowered by the Holy Spirit certainly can—and MUST, because that’s God’s will for our lives! AS we worship today, let’s remember Jesus’ plan for the world includes each and everyone of us!
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